


somewhere I can rest my soul

by togetherwecouldbealright



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Canon Compliant, Fluff, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, The X Factor Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 15:43:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7763647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/togetherwecouldbealright/pseuds/togetherwecouldbealright
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i> “I’m Louis Tomlinson,” the boy says, holding his hand out. Glancing down at it, Harry starts at the word <b> beautiful </b> written there, just along his pointer finger. It seems someone else knows exactly how stunning Louis is. </i>
</p><p>
  <i> Willing himself not to act like a complete and utter prat, Harry takes Louis’ hand in his own and quietly murmurs, “It’s nice to meet you.” </i>
</p><p>Or, the AU where the way your soulmate sees you is tattooed onto your skin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	somewhere I can rest my soul

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tomorrows](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomorrows/gifts).
  * Translation into Polski available: [somewhere I can rest my soul](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8082580) by [just_vanilla](https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_vanilla/pseuds/just_vanilla)



> this fic is for ao3 user tomorrows because she apparently has me wrapped around her finger and all she has to say is "give me a soulMATES au" for me to actually get off my ass and write a fic for the first time in months.
> 
> my inspo came from [this wonderful post](http://titforatat.tumblr.com/post/147325522032/ok-but-andreil-how-your-soulmate-sees-you) that has absolutely nothing to do with 1d or hl whatsoever but is fantastic all the same.
> 
> title from cold water by major lazer.
> 
> a million thanks as always to my beta, the other half of the dream team, my dear holly. couldn't do it without you.
> 
> hope y'all enjoy my third soulmate au (I clearly have a problem). xo

_Stranger_.

The word is wrapped around Harry’s ankle in loopy black writing for the longest time. He doesn’t remember a time when it _isn’t_.

It doesn’t bother him much—all it means is that he hasn’t met his soulmate yet. Time to time, Harry wonders what’s written on the other person’s skin. Whether it also says stranger or something else entirely.

He’s sixteen, standing in the line for The X Factor, biting his lip nervously when he notices black ink that's swirling around his wrist.

 _Cute_.

Harry stares at his wrist incredulously for a second before reaching out for his sister Gemma, fingers tangling in her shirt. After his interview with Dermot, his mum and stepdad Robin disappeared to buy a few more water bottles. “Gemma. _Gem_.”

“What is it? Are the nerves finally hitting?” Gemma asks, turning to him and then freezing when she sees Harry’s wrist. “Is that—?”

Harry nods, brushing his fingers over the word to make sure it’s really there. It sinks in when the ink doesn’t smudge and his head snaps up, scanning the crowd around them.

There’s thousands of people around him and there’s absolutely no way for him to figure out which one of them is fated for him. It could be the girl standing by with pink highlights in her hair, eyes focused on her phone or it could be the boy halfway across the line with a cold, calculating look in his eyes as he sizes up the rest of the competition.

“I don’t—what am I supposed to do?” he asks Gemma, feeling short of breath and she offers him a comforting smile that does little to console him.

“You wait and hope for the best,” she replies, squeezing his wrist gently.

—

Harry’s on stage, adrenaline running through his veins as Simon Cowell says, “And you’ll be happy to hear that I’m going to be agreeing with Nicole. You’re through.”

“Thank you,” he manages to say somehow, despite his grin threatening to break his face in half.

He’s barely aware of his feet moving until he’s backstage and there’s ten people hugging him at once, telling him how proud they are. All he can think is, _I did it, I made it_.

He misses the word _superstar_ across the back of his neck.

—

A week before bootcamp, Harry’s sitting in his bedroom when he notices a new word on his thigh. _Picturesque._ It makes him smile for three days straight.

—

Harry is in the bathroom, wet hands gripping the sink, knuckles straining as he tries to breathe through the panic in his chest.

He glances up in the mirror for only a second but it’s enough to see _talented_ scrawled across his collarbone and he finally sucks in a huge breath.

As he’s doing that, the door to the bathroom opens and Harry’s body turns without permission, looking to see who the intruder is and instead he bumps directly into them, water splashing from his hands onto the boy’s shirt.

“Oops,” Harry murmurs to himself, cheeks burning red with embarrassment as he finally looks up.

Instead of meeting an angry expression, he sees warm blue eyes and the brightest smile he’s ever seen in his life. “Hi,” says the boy and something inside of Harry twists and turns, coming alive.

“H-hello,” Harry stutters, taking a step back in shock but somehow the stranger continues to grin. His smile is beautiful. So is everything about him.

“Harry Styles, right?” asks the blue-eyed boy, tilting his head curiously. “I saw your audition.”

Harry can do nothing but nod, pressing his lips together before he says something ridiculous like _the crinkles by your eyes make my heart flutter_.

“I’m Louis Tomlinson,” the boy says, holding his hand out. Glancing down at it, Harry starts at the word _beautiful_ written there, just along his pointer finger. It seems someone else knows exactly how stunning Louis is.

Willing himself not to act like a complete and utter prat, Harry takes Louis’ hand in his own and quietly murmurs, “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Louis agrees, still grinning before he falters slightly as he takes Harry in. “Are you alright though? You look a bit pale.”

“I’m really nervous,” Harry admits, shocking even himself. Something about Louis feels trustworthy though and it appears his instincts are right because Louis’ expression softens.

“You shouldn’t be,” Louis informs, squeezing his hand once before dropping it. “You smashed your audition and that performance you just did? That was amazing, mate. You’re definitely going to make it.”

Harry lets out a nervous laugh, shaking his head. “I don’t know about that.”

Louis looks personally affronted at that. “Oi, don’t be silly, Harold. You’re going to be just fine. You’re very clearly meant to be a star.”

Harry blinks, astonished that his practical stranger has that much faith in him. It almost makes him want to believe it too. He doesn’t feel so nervous anymore. “You really think so?”

“I know it,” Louis replies, confident before he reaches in his pants and pulls out his phone. “In fact, let’s take a picture right now so when you’re famous, I can say I was fortunate enough to meet you. Can I have an autograph too?”

“Are you having me on?” Harry asks incredulously, biting his lip to keep from smiling as he stares at Louis’ earnest expression.

Louis simply beams, moving closer to Harry and wrapping one arm around his shoulders before holding his phone out. “Cheese!” he exclaims and Harry finally lets his grin break loose as the camera on Louis’ phone snaps a picture. Before Harry can ask to see the photo, Louis is pulling out his wallet and a pen from his pocket as well, handing the latter to Harry.

“What are you doing?” Harry asks curiously, watching as Louis rummages through his wallet until he seems to find what he’s looking for.

“I can’t very well have your autograph on my arm, now can I?” Louis retorts, holding a blank sticky note. “Make it out to your biggest fan.”

Harry can’t help the giggle that slips past his lips. “You’re insane,” he informs but takes the sticky anyways, writing out exactly what Louis asked.

“Ah, now is that something you should say to your biggest fan? Who’s going to run the Harry Styles fan club if I leave?” Louis teases and Harry’s stomach flutters with butterflies as he hands the note back to Louis.

“My mum, probably,” Harry answers honestly and it surprises a sharp laugh out of Louis.

It’s probably the most wonderful sound Harry has ever heard in his entire life.

“A suitable replacement,” Louis agrees before his eyes flicker over Harry’s shoulder towards the stalls. “I’m really sorry to bring an end to our lovely conversation, but I actually really need to use the loo,” he admits.

Harry’s mouth falls opens a little as he realizes his little nervous breakdown stopped Louis from actually using the bathroom. “I’m—I’m so sorry,” he apologizes, flustered. “By all means, please go. Sorry for holding you up.”

“It’s okay,” Louis replies, lips pulling up again. “It was worth it.”

And then before Harry can register what’s happening, Louis pulls him into a quick hug, whispering, “Good luck,” into his ear before he dashes off into one of the stalls.

Harry stands there for only a second, dazed before he realizes he should probably exit the bathroom.

It’s an hour later that his shirt rides up and he notices the _supernova_ scrawled across his hip.

—

“We’ve decided to put you both through together.”

Harry doesn’t think twice before catching Louis in his arms, completely exhilarated. He’s never been one to think of himself as lucky but he can’t believe that he’s somehow ended up in the same band as Louis and that they’re both through to judges’ houses and that they’re _together_. It’s luck, it has to be.

A voice whispers _fate_ in the back of his mind but he barely hears it, too busy being smothered by all sides by the rest of his group. He also doesn’t see the _beginning_ on the inside of his arm but it’s there all the same.

—

They don’t let him stay with Louis at the hospital after he’s bitten by the sea urchin but Harry thinks he’d have been better off there because all he’s contributing to the group is anxiety.

They practice a few times and Liam shakes his head, fear visible clear as day in his eyes as he says, “It doesn’t sound right at all.”

“It’s not thick enough with him,” Harry adds and his voice is hoarse with worry. He can’t stop thinking about Louis, alone in the hospital in a foreign country.

He’s so sick with concern that when he notices the word _safe_ written across his knee, all he can do is stare at it blankly and think about how unsafe Louis must feel right now.

It takes a few hours but the second Harry sees Louis again, he jumps off the stairs and runs towards him, wrapping his arms around him, breathing in his scent and thinking _thank God_.

—

“Me and Hazza are taking this one,” Louis informs as soon as he enters the room, rapping his knuckles against the wood of the bunkbed on the left side of the room. Harry trails in after him, grinning as he sits down on the bottom bunk, pressing his leg against the older boy’s.

“Whatever,” says a tired Zayn as he stumbles over to the closest bed and falls face forward. Niall and Liam aren’t far behind.

Louis leans down conspiratorially to whisper, “We’re going to pull so many pranks on them,” in Harry’s ear before standing straight again, ever the picture of innocence.

Harry giggles and Liam shoots them a suspicious look but doesn’t say anything as the other boys have quickly learned not to question Harry and Louis’ antics.

They all start to unpack except for Zayn who’s knocked out cold and Harry finds a bracelet tucked into one of his bags that looks mysteriously like one of the bracelets he saw Louis’ sisters wearing a few days ago.

He turns to raise an eyebrow at Louis but the older boy isn’t paying attention so Harry reaches out to tap him when he falters at the words written on the back of his hand. _A dream come true_.

Louis turns to him then, as though he felt Harry reaching out but he notices what has Harry’s attention and stops short. “Do you know who it is?” he asks quietly.

Harry glances up from the words, his mind still reeling. Someone out there thinks he’s “a dream come true”? Not for the first time, Harry burns with wonder as to who could be thinking these things about him. “No,” he replies, equally as quiet. “Do you know who yours is?”

In reply, Louis rolls up his sleeve to show the word _whimsical_ on the inside of his elbow. “Can’t say I do. Who would call _me_ whimsical though?”

Harry ignores the irrational pit in his stomach screaming of jealousy and instead shrugs. “You’re pretty whimsical,” he murmurs, looking away.

Louis hums in reply but doesn’t say anything else.

—

A few days later Louis walks out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist and across his chest is the word _best friend_. Harry seethes with anger for half an hour at the stranger who dares to call Louis their best friend before Mary comes over to smack the back of his head with a rolled up newspaper and offer him some oatmeal.

Across Harry’s own ribs are the words _charming_ and _sweetheart_. After he tells Louis about it over dinner together, the older boy seems a little distant and Harry decides not to bring up their soulmarks again unless he has to.

—

After their first live show, Harry is changing in their dressing room when Niall calls out playfully, “Which wanker is out there describing you as _melodious_?” followed by a burst of laughter.

Harry twists, trying to see the word on his back but he can’t. Still, the word echoes in his head, especially when he sees the way Louis turns away from him.

—

“Liam is the smart one, Harry is the flirt, Zayn is vain, Niall is the funny one…” Louis trails off and Harry can’t help but stare at him instead of the camera.

“And Louis’ the leader,” Harry blurts and Zayn and Niall start laughing so he adds, “Louis’ the leader because that’s the only one that’s left.” Privately, he thinks Louis is genuinely the leader of the group with the way he keeps everyone together but he doesn’t think he should say that bit.

It’s only later when Harry’s in the shower that he notices the word _flirtatious_ written across his bicep and narrows his eyes in wonder.

—

Harry has a theory but it’s a dangerous one. One he’s not willing to voice aloud but he finds himself paying closer attention to Louis’ soulmarks than anyone else’s.

The word _confident_ wraps around Louis’ wrist, the word _brilliant_ on the back of his neck, the word _handsome_ across his cheekbone, the word _loud_ on his jawline, the word _patient_ across his stomach.

On Harry’s own body the word _wonderful_ is written down the length of his arm only to be replaced with _domestic_ on his shoulder and then the word _cheeky_ on one of his arsecheeks (which Niall naturally finds hilarious). Following that is _the X factor_ written across his forehead and it’s sort of embarrassing but at the same time, he thinks about what it means that his soulmate thinks he has the X factor and almost passes out from the implications.

One time the words _nice little body_ find themselves printed onto his v-line and he blushes so intensely that Louis calls him out on it, wondering what has him flustered.

Harry only splutters, mumbles something about having to take out the trash and runs off.

—

They’re out at a bar one night with a bunch of the other contestants and Louis is definitely drunk as he dances in the middle of the crowd. Harry watches him from their booth, despite Louis having offered for him to come with.

Louis finally glances his way and when their eyes meet, Harry swears there’s a spark and he wonders if Louis feels it too. He can’t ask but when Louis winks at him, Harry finds himself standing up without his own volition.

He makes his way into the crowd until he’s standing in front of Louis and his eyes drop to where _tease_ is written down the side of Louis’ neck.

“Care to dance, Hazza?” Louis murmurs, already reaching for his waist and Harry goes easily, his own hand wrapping around the back of Louis’ neck, thumb brushing along the soulmark.

Louis leans in close and when he speaks into Harry’s ear, he can’t help but shiver. “Who do you think caused the word _enticing_ to be here?” As Louis says it, he presses his thumb into the inside of Harry’s arm.

Harry exhales sharply before muttering, “Doesn’t matter.”

At that, Louis pulls back and raises his eyebrows. “Is that so?”

Harry merely shrugs and then because he’s stupid and reckless, he pulls Louis in by the neck and kisses him. To his immense relief, Louis kisses back, fingers tightening where they're digging into Harry’s skin.

When he pulls away to breathe, the word _tease_ has disappeared from beneath his thumb and instead _great kisser_ appears beneath Louis’ collarbone and Harry feels delirious from how happy he is.

He doesn’t tell Louis that night, mostly because after a few more dances, they head home and Louis falls asleep on Harry’s shoulder.

—

“I have to tell you something,” Harry says the next afternoon, biting his lip as he stares at Louis’ back as searches for the jar of sugar. Peeking out from beneath his shirt is the word _cuddly_.

“If it’s that you regret last night, wait until I have tea,” Louis replies, voice rough from the night before. Most everyone is still in their rooms, sleeping off their hangovers.

Harry gapes at him for a second before shaking his head. “No, I promise. I don’t regret that,” he assures and he watches the tension in Louis’ shoulders disappear as he nods.

As soon as his tea is ready, Louis takes the seat across from Harry and sets down a second mug in front of him. Harry feels his heart warm and the word _considerate_ appears on the back of Louis’ elbow. The older boy doesn’t seem to notice.

“What is it then?” Louis asks quietly. He’s always softer in the morning, Harry notices, as the older boy smiles tiredly at him.

“Can you answer one question for me first?” Harry asks and he’s hoping, praying his plan works out.

Louis nods, looking suspicious, wry and endeared at the same time.

“What do you think of me? Like, if you had to describe me in one word?”

The question must throw Louis for a loop because the boy falters from where he has his mug halfway to his mouth and sets it down instead. He gives Harry a long, hard look that has Harry’s nerves fluttering in his stomach.

“I can’t,” Louis finally says, glancing down. “You’re lovely, you’re charming, you’re funny, you’re sweet, you’re intelligent, you’re caring—you’re everything.”

Neither of them breathe for a second and then as Harry predicted, the word _everything_ shows up neatly on his wrist.

Without saying a word, Harry holds his wrist out to Louis who glances up and then inhales sharply.

“Harry,” Louis breathes, eyes locked on the soulmark. “This… this says everything.”

“It does,” Harry agrees and he swears his heart stops when Louis lightly brushes his fingers along the soulmark, as if unsure it’s really there.

“Does this mean you’re my—my soulmate?” Louis whispers and his misty eyes finally meet Harry’s.

Harry nods his head, feeling his own throat close up. He takes Louis’ other hand shakily and shows him the words written across his knuckles. “See?”

 _Love of my life_.

Louis lets out an incredulous laugh and he leans up in his seat, pulling Harry in for a soft, sweet kiss. “My soulmate,” Louis repeats against his mouth and Harry finally, finally lets himself smile.

—

Years down the line, the soulmark most often seen on Louis and Harry is the word _home_.

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is [eversincenewyorks](http://eversincenewyorks.tumblr.com) and my twitter is [couldbealright](http://twitter.com/couldbealright) if you want to drop by and say hi or anything. [This](http://lourrynavy.tumblr.com/post/148913611277/somewhere-i-can-rest-my-soul-by) is the direct fic post if you want to reblog it! Thanks for reading. :)
> 
> **edit: no offense but don't think about the words _deepest love_ being on harry's skin because i just did and now i want to die a little.


End file.
